Peugeot 304, metallic silver like my ’71 model. Unfortunately I have no pictures of my two Peugeot 304s
(first posted 7/30/2016) In Fall of 1979 the car dealers in the Heidelberg area held an event to showcase their vehicles. Almost every popular European brand was present as well as recent newcomers from Japan. Obviously, I wasn’t shopping for a new car but wanted to check them out. This event attracted also a few people who wanted to showcase their used car for sale on the side. That’s how I found my metallic silver ’71 Peugeot 304.
I took it for a test drive and it drove quite nice. It had comfy grey velour seats, the engine sounded great and it picked up speed so nice! The owner was touting all the good things about his car and how it got better the worse the weather was. It even had a new voltage regulator. I bought it the next day and was quite proud of it.
The 304, a development of Peugeot’s first FWD car, the 204, was far advanced, eons ahead of the VW Beetle. It was FWD with transverse mounted inline 4 cylinder engine and a 4 speed transmission underneath. Engine and transmission share the block and the oil. The engine was water cooled and had a single overhead cam and rockers. The suspension was independent with McPherson struts all around. It had disk brakes in the front, drums in the rear and brake booster. The transmission had four speeds and a column shifter. The clutch was hydraulic. The greenhouse offered excellent view all around. The interior was roomy with very comfortable seats and a real trunk.
Of course buying a used car without the critical eye of Herr Eustachi couldn’t go well. The car pulled to the side when accelerating, a sign of worn control arm bushings. Frat brother Hans said: “being used to a VW makes any car feel great, even with worn out suspension.” Right he was. And he knew something about Peugeot as he was driving a 204 convertible.
IMBD, Peugeot 304 and Peugeot 204 break featured in “L’ibis rouge”
Soon I had trouble starting the car with the battery frequently drained. One day I took one of my frat brother to a meeting some 200 km away. It was getting dark coming back and about 30 km from Heidelberg the lights went out. The fuse box was fried. I pushed on anyway and in Heidelberg I was noticed by the men in uniform. All I needed was another 500 meters! They allowed me to drive home and followed me. Then they wrote the ticket. Before you ask: yes, it hurt.
Engine bay. The fuse box sits behind and the voltage regulator in front of the driver’s engine mount.
I never could figure out why the fuse box fried. In addition the muffler was getting loud and the dreaded TüV was coming up and I knew it wouldn’t pass. I sold it to a mechanic who intended to fix the electrical gremlins and sell it on to an American GI. To him the rust didn’t matter much because the Americans don’t need the TüV stamp of approval on their US license plates.
Hunter green with tan interior, just like my ’69 Peugeot 304.
Even with all that trouble I was not deterred by Peugeot. I loved the size, comfort, power (relative to the Beetle) and fuel efficiency of that car. And they were cheap to buy.
My Francophile frat brother Hans made me aware of this hunter green ’69 Peugeot 304 in the scrap yard. On the outside it was cosmetically challenged and it needed extensive welding in particular in the trunk area to get through the TüV. I bought it and took it straight to the shop that prepped my Beetle. The mechanic patched every hole and seam. Mechanically the 304 was in good shape and needed no work.
Time has come for the TüV Hauptuntersuchung (HU) (= main inspection). The first few checks went fine: CO2 emissions, lights, brakes, steering were A -O.K.
Then he opened the trunk. He broke out in laughter when he saw the amount of welding that had been done. He even called his colleague to have a peek! They were shaking their heads in disbelieve and asked: “Who did this?” They were somewhat relieved that the welding was done by a pro. I think they only let it pass because they had mercy with me, and they could not find anything else wrong with the car. You could say that the welding job gave this car a 2 year lease on life, to the next TüV date.
IMBD, Peugeot 304 in the movie “Day of the Jackal”
For some reason I visited with the mechanic who bought my silver 304. He opened the hood of the green one to have a good look at the wiring. It turned out the previous owner of the silver 304 replaced the voltage regulator himself and hooked up the wires wrong! That should explain drained batteries and fried fuse box.
The ‘S’ version sported a 4 on the floor.
My hunter green 304 was very nice inside, almost luxurious. The tan vinyl seats fooled many to think it was real leather. This car was super comfortable and certainly made up for the “almost COAL” Ford Taunus 12 M and probably for the Audi 60 that was on my horizon for some time.
However, when it finally became available it would have required a whole day to bring it back from south of Munich and my account would have been perilously close to zero.
Back to my green 304: it had a band speedometer in the fake walnut instrument panel. I found this much more to my liking than the cold brushed aluminum panel with oh so functional round instruments of the ’71 model.
The brushed aluminum instrument panel accentuated functionality.
These Peugeot 304 were rather easy to work on. I adjusted the valve lash on the side of the road. Then a pal who also bought a 304 needed the head gasket replaced. I did it for him with common tools. The only thing to worry about was the timing chain tensioner. With the tension gone it could fall out of its recess and drop into the the timing chain housing. I was lucky. The tensioner was about to fall out. I needed a long flat hook like tool to reach down and pull it up a little bit so it could go back in its place. I found a windshield wiper arm with its J-shaped end was exactly what I needed.
Let’s go for a ride. This video is of a mechanically identical Peugeot 204 Cabriolet. I chose it because demonstrates the precision and ease of operation of the column shifter so well.
Shifting this Peugeot 304 was second nature. I loved every kilometer with it. The runs through the Schlossbergtunnel in Heidelberg were so much fun. At speeds of 100 km and up the corners of the hood by the cowl started to rise about 3 cm. That was scary at first but the hood never popped open. There was significant wind noise at these speeds too. I don’t think this car spent any time in a wind tunnel during development.
Diagram of the column shift mechanism.
The horn was great: two tone and very loud! When you got too fast into a corner it under-steered severely and as soon as you took the foot off the accelerator it corrected itself with over-steer. That was rather entertaining, I must say.
IMBD, Scene of a “Tatort” TV episode.
These Peugeot 304 had no power steering, they used a very indirect rack and pinion steering. You had to spin that wheel like a butter churn. I almost put my girlfriend’s VW Polo into the ditch going into a right turn because the steering was so much more direct than the Peugeot I was used to.
Early Peugeot 304 had vertical tail lights.
Life can be ironic sometimes. I had a nice running comfortable car for travel and never took it on a long trip. My excuse for travel fell through. I was benefiting from new medical treatments that kept me out of the hospital for a full year the first time in 5 years. Besides, I was low on cash.
I drove the Peugeot 304 to a pot luck party. I prepared a tomato salad in an earthenware dish and sealed it with saran wrap. I placed it on the rear seat. The route took me across Baden-Württemberg’s most dangerous intersection. It’s really a combination of two intersections. This road was 2-lane and one way. At the T-intersection both lanes were stopped simultaneously by the red light. Both lanes were released to turn left and then stopped again together at the next red light, just 50 meters ahead. Now my mind was programmed to act in sync with the car on my right side. However, here only the right lane to go straight received green and my lane to go left did not. There was a little distance to the actual left turn and I shifted into 2nd gear. I turned left to cross the 2-lane road. The on-coming traffic was released just so that I T-boned that first on coming car. Confused? Read it again!
The impact ripped my hands off the steering wheel and knocked them against the windshield or dashboard. My hands hurt but the seat belt saved me from further injury. The Opel was severely dented on the driver’s side. The couple in it had no injuries. The 304 was totaled but the tomato salad survived unharmed. I found it on the floor behind the driver’s seat.
I came late to the party. At least the tomato salad was a smash hit.
A pleasure read these lines: thanks for share your experience with these Peugeots?
Maybe the 304’s rarer versión you can see today:
Fourgonette
You mention the TuV inspection including CO2 emissions. That seems unlikeley, it is probably the toxic gas CO (carbon monoxide) they testet for at the time.
They measured CO2 at idle. I suppose it was a good proxy for proper fuel-air ratio and ignition properties. They wanted CO2 in a very narrow range.
Ok, interesting to know. I thought CO2 emissions wans’t a big deal at the time, but if it was just to see if the carburetor and ignition timing was correct then it makes sense.
Very popular car in Israel too, before Subaru (and then the rest of the Japanese) came on the scene.
Wolfgang, Your story reminds me of something my father told me when I was young and had little money to buy a car. He said: “Always remember that when you buy a used car, there’s a reason why it is being sold.”
I like your use of Dr. Evil and his cohort laughing.
In the video, I was wondering why the red car was in neutral as he made the last two left turns and then I realized he was coasting in neutral to a stop. Must be an old habit of the driver.
Your COALs and coffee, the perfect Saturday morning treat.
Thanks RL! My dad started driving cars at the age of 51. He only bought new. My budget was too slim for that.
I noticed the same thing in the video. I also noticed that he never even looked at the shift lever or the gauges. Many times he used only two fingers when he changed gears.
Reminds me so much of my 404: the shifting was so easy and natural. Very unlike American column shifters.
As you said in another comment, I’d be very to have a column shifter except perhaps a sports car.
Paul,yes in the 3rd and 4th plane you could flick the gear lever with one finger.Magic.
The interior shot makes a great case for the column shifter on the 304. A normal floor console and armrest would have only left room for much narrower bucket seats. Curiously Wikkipedia said all the 304s had floor shifters.
The 8th picture shows how they placed the floor shifter. It did not interfere with the bucket seats at all. My point: once you drove a Peugeot with column shifter you realize that floor shifters are overrated. Of course I would want my floor shifter in a sports car.
US-bound 304s had floor shifters. Americans weren’t too keen on 4-on-the-tree.
Probably all US-market 304s had the floor-shift. I found my friend’s 71 hard to work on. Certainly more difficult than the car I owned in those days – a ’71 Audi Super 90. It was only version of the Audi 60 that was sold in the US – from ’70 to ’72.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Did you have wheel time in both, the Peugeot 304 and the Audi Super 90? If so how did they compare?
I had very limited time in the Peugeot. I remember it for great comfort and ride in a small car, along with decent handling. But the sideways engine, with that belt going round the corner, was hard to work on (for other than adjusting valves) and parts were hard to get.
I considered my Super 90 sort of Audi’s version of the 304. Both cars were relatively expensive compact imports, sold in the US in limited numbers between ’70 and ’72. Also close in size and styling (maybe a but more dated on the Audi) Both had a soft ride (a passenger once commented my car had a floating ride) but the Audi had more unique suspension engineering with four wheel torsion-bar springs and inboard front disc brakes. My Audi was a 2-door Variant (wagon), though I owned a 4-door sedan parts-car briefly.
The high-compression pushrod OHV 1.8L 4-cylinder Audi engine had more power – 100 hp gross SAE (about 90 net hp) but was noisier than the 1.3L OHC 304 unit.
Unlike the transverse 304 setup, the Audi FWD layout was more like a rear-drive car, with the engine lengthwise in front, mounted just aft the bumper, and the transaxle bolted on behind.The engine was slanted 45 degrees to the right, with the radiator mounted to the left, behind a belt-driven fan mounted to an arm.
Curiously, my Super 90 had a French Sofico heater.
Through most of the ’80s, my Audi gave a lot of trouble, including a worn-out steering rack, broken #2 exhaust valve, and pinion bearing failure in the transaxle. I’m sure glad the transaxle wasn’t built into the engine sump on the Audi. Overall, it was relatively easy to work on for a FWD, was a rare car in the US that I really enjoyed driving, and for awhile, parts remained relatively easy to get. I drove the Audi from 1980 to 1990 when parts supplies finally dried up, and the car was rusting badly after many years as my winter snow-mobile!
Good luck finding either an intact Super 90 or 304 parked on an American street today.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Thanks for that write up Wolfgang!
One of the best I’ve read on here.
We see quite a lot of 204 convertibles in England, they would have been expensive when new but obviously sold quite well. Saloons, estates (brakes) are rare. I have seen a solitary 304 coupe here, a rare sight even in France itself.
The rear lights on the white 304 look very similar to those of the Volvo 140/160 series- could they be the same?
Good eye! but the Volvo’s tail lights are a not as slender.
Problem was : They were really the BEST driving cars in their class.
They had the ride of a much bigger car and roadholding was great.
Later in life their last diesel engine got very popular, just before the Golf Diesels were launched.
I still lust for a 304 Coupé, a bit a car like an MGB Gt but typical French typical Peugeot Well one day perhaps,
304 Coupés are still very affordable in these days of silly classic car prices !
Did the diesels have a common sump for the engine and transmission?
Yes. Look at the second picture. It actually shows the Diesel engine. I didn’t notice that when I wrote the COAL.
Very interesting story. Nice looking cars but seemed to have all kinds of problems. I was really struck by that interior pic showing the brushed aluminum instrument panel – I spent more time looking at the wipers and marvelling at how they were mounted backwards to what I am used to, so they pivot left to right instead of right to left. Were the wipers on all Pugs this way?
The tomato salad looks lovely!
The picture of that tomato salad gave me an idea for tonight’s dinner.
That’s cool! Add piece of French bread and a glass of Beaujolais, dream of …..o.k. It’s the wrong car but it will do in a pinch.
what car?
Renault Floride.
B Bardot?
what car indeed! My good friend and neighbour who is now 58 years young and only slightly worn looks almost exactly like that woman,same hair and face but with a less pronounced cleavage.I will show her that pic.
You recognize her, right?
Yes, it’s Brigitte Bardot.
THAT Peugeot diesel engine deserves a write up of its own. The one with the crazy fan belt….
I think it replaced/augmented the existing ‘Indenor’ diesel and was called the ‘suitcase’ engine?
Jimmy, this is not the “suitcase” engine. The suitcase engine design is rooted in the engine shown. I do hope we will be treated to the Diesels and the suitcase engine during Peugeot fest. I hope we see the F1 engines too.
I have one of their diesel engines here I drive it most days a XUD 1905 turbo, runs great reliable and very economical. A bit too new for this CC series though.
Nice article with lots of good pics in between made you want to read on. Sorry about your accident. Where was “mapquest” for a scenic route to avoid the bad intersections! LOL. Comparing power to a Beetle isn’t saying much! You were probably worried about tomato salad getting too warm!
Another entertaining story–that TUv inspection sounds like quite the inquisition. Shame about the 304, but I suppose it’s a good advertisement for Saran wrap that the tomato salad stayed in the bowl! ‘Smash hit’ indeed.
Good-looking cars, though I’ve never seen one “in the metal”. The few that were sold here in the USA were probably all gone by the time I was old enough to notice cars–the only Peugeots I ever saw were the 505 (quite a few in the late 80’s), 405 (very rarely) and 504 (only one, but it belonged to a neighbor so I saw that one frequently).
Saran Wrap- I won’t accept imitations, that’s for sure!
Thanks Wolfgang. The car stories about the things we do when young and without much money are by far my favorites. I can imagine how frustrated you must have been to get pulled over just 500 meters from your destination. Then to get a ticket on top of that. Here in the states one can ask for a “fix-it ticket” and most police will oblige without a fuss. That usually gives a person two weeks to have whatever it is fixed and then a drive down to the police station so they can confirm it has been fixed. I received a fix-it ticket for too dark of window tint years ago. I told the officer that’s how I purchased my used 89 Toyota Tercel (hardly a blinged-out obnoxious car) and had been driving it like that for over two years without any problem. He must have been bored because proceeded to chew me out for five minutes. The funniest part was after I removed all the tint from the rear windows I drove down to the station and a different officer tested my windshield. “See here, it’s over the limit on the windshield.” That can’t be I said, it never had any tint on the windshield, just the rear windows. “Hmmm, this tester has been a bit temperamental lately. I’ll give you the all clear with a visual exam today.” The device he used was gigantic and appeared to be made before transistors had been invented. My young smartass self just had to comment that based on the looks of the device it had surely been paid for several times over. He busted up laughing so at least I got in a zinger at the end.